At The CORE, we believe in offering instruction both online and in person to accommodate the needs of all of our students. While for most it is about scheduling, there are some who benefits more from learning at their own pace, in their own environment, where others thrive in person with peers. The individual’s preferences are largely dependant upon their learning style. Below we are breaking down these various learning styles and what they mean as well as how they relate to in class and online instruction. 

1. In Class Learning
Pros: In class learning provides a person with face to face communication which can help them to make connections to not only what they are learning, but to those around them, who are their peers and could prove to be useful connections in the future. His form of learning is less complicated as you are hearing and seeing what you need to know directly. It also allows for interaction with classmates that can help to solidify concepts and you can ask questions in the moment to teachers and establish a rapport with them that can be harder to do online.
Cons: You have to go at the speed of the class and you need to be present in the classroom. If you are having trouble with material, there is a smaller time frame to stay up to date on what is going on in class. You also need to be at the location of the class, which can be difficult in some situations.

2. Online Learning
Pros: Online learning allows for people to go at their own pace and to take extra time with material if it is especially challenging for them. It encourages responsibility because, while you can take your time to learn something, if you want to keep learning, you will need to complete certain lessons before moving on. Accessibility can be easier with online learning as it can be completed in any environment, as long as there is a computer present.
Cons: One shortcoming of online learning is a lack of interaction with other students. Often it can be helpful to talk over concepts with another person and in a situation where you are learning online, you may not be around a lot of people who have learned or are learning the same things you are. Online learning can also be difficult for instructors as they cannot interact directly with students to solve problems or answer questions.

More Specific Ways to Learn:
Visual Learning

Visual Learning can be helpful to those who do better to draw out ideas for themselves or prefer to see things laid out instead of just talked about. Visual learning can range from drawing pictures of concepts to creating flow charts to just putting things up on a wall to look at them in a new way. This type of learning can be very helpful as it can draw clear connections between concepts, which may be hard to grasp at first. By seeing what you are doing you can introduce yourself to topics in a different setting. Visual learning can be done on your own or with a group, so it can be done both in a classroom and if you take classes online.

Auditory Learning

Auditory learning is when you listen or speak about concepts. Auditory learning can range from listening to a lecture instead of writing down notes to saying things out loud as you learn them. If you participate in in-class learning, when you are in a lecture, try just listening to a lecture rather than taking notes because writing may draw your focus away from taking in what the teacher is saying. With in class learning, you can also discuss topics that you might find challenging with other students to try and feel more comfortable with them. With online learning, auditory learning is more limited. You can speak concepts out loud to try to become more familiar with them, but it can be difficult to discuss topics if you are not with classmates.

Kinesthetic Learning

Kinesthetic learning is linking material to hands-on experiences. It can involve demonstrating how to do something rather than just writing it down or saying it. Often this type of learning can be helpful with math or science. For people who prefer kinesthetic learning can try learning new topics while doing something active such as walking while reading a textbook. This form of kinesthetic learning can be done more easily with online learning because you would not be disrupting a class if you were to walk and read at the same time. However, with in-class learning, you may have a teacher who can incorporate kinesthetic learning into a lesson to create a clear connection between a topic you are learning and a real life action or example.  

Every person must find the way of learning that works best for them. In some cases it may be more than one way depending on a specific course or teacher. In class learning is typically more helpful for the type of person who likes working in groups and using auditory learning. Online learning is best for visual learners and less so for auditory learners. However, we do not always get to pick which way of learning we participate in, so work to find the best way to capitalize on the way you are learning!